Idle plug for stuff I've written time, which is abstractly the reason that this blog exists.

(No, really. It's not just to make sure the Internet knows how much I like dancing, reading big books and fancy Beyonce. Honest.)

Best known to my peers who read this as what's been turning Alec Meer into a sleepless mess of hate for the last two months, since he's sitting in the captain's seat of the enterprise.

Essentially it's another of the spin-off launches which Future enjoy doing when sticking their toe into possible new niche markets. It's focused entirely on the independent games scene and how you get involved. While specialist information is all too available online, this sort of thing works by allowing an accessible entry point as well as exploring options that you and google probably wouldn't have reached yourself. It's a good magazine for the first attempt at this, dealing with all manner of stuff and a good building ground for follow up issues in a similar line. Anyone interested in the area should find something herein which they'll give a toss about. Which is what specialist magazines are all about.

I contributed a six page feature about running a mod (i.e. Cassandra). It's essentially a directors cut of the monthly columns I've been running in PC Format magazine, rejigged and expanded as and when is aquired. I think it works better in this context than buried at the back of a more generalist magazine. I walk a thin line between actual useful advice and barely concealed bitterness about the entire process, which I think is exactly the sort of words that someone seriously considering a mod should hear.

There's a couple of good jokes too.

Available in all good newsagents for - oooh - a few days now. Have a flick, at least.